1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to shielded connector assemblies providing protection against electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shielded electrical jack connector systems are used in many applications, e.g. telecommunications equipment, computers, other digital information systems, etc. Such jack connectors are commonly mounted on the surface of printed circuit boards which include ground planes or ground circuits. The electrical circuitry connected with such jack connectors commonly include mateable male plugs mounted to a plurality of electrical cables having a plurality of electrically conductive leads surrounded by an electrically conductive shield and which are respectively connected to terminals in the plug. It is commonly necessary to shield the circuits carrying signals to avoid unwanted electromagnetic interference generated from within and/or outside the system.
One type of electrical connector is a telecommunication rectangular shielded electrical connector assembly which includes a rectangular shaped dielectric housing with outer surfaces covered at least in part by a metal shield with walls covering outside wall surfaces of the housing. An illustrative example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,169.
A shortcoming of prior art shielded electrical connector assemblies is encountered with panel mounted connectors and resultant electrical contact with the panel. In such applications, the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board such that a wall of the shield lies just beyond the edge of the printed circuit board. Then, the printed circuit board is positioned with its forward edge against the rear face of a metal panel, e.g. an external panel of an electronic apparatus such as a computer. In such applications, it is common for the wall of the shield to protrude through a rectangular hole in the panel to enable the connector to receive a shielded data-link plug to connect the apparatus to a peripheral electronic apparatus. However, shortcomings are commonly encountered with the electrical contact between the shield and the panel.